As a nation, we need to choose partners over politics

Two-faced Eskom punishes solar users

Eskom is so much part of our lives. Homes and industries are heavily reliant on it for their power and lights, but in recent years it has become inefficient, corrupt and plundered by the greedy, often leaving the country without power.

Many businesses and homes have been forced to seek alternative sources of power. Most popular of these is solar power. Although the sun’s energy is clean and free, harnessing it to power our homes and industries comes at a hefty initial outlay.

But as more and more homes and businesses ditch Eskom and switch to solar power, Eskom has been getting worried because fewer customers means less revenue. To offset this, it wants to punish customers who have went solar. They must be registered with Eskom and pay a fee either upfront and/or a monthly basis. How nasty can Eskom be, to punish consumers who have opted for an alternative source of energy when this problem is of its own doing?

What is even more alarming is its “gift” to Hillside Aluminium in Richards Bay. The giant aluminium company enjoys a roughly R10-billion-a-year discount, amounting to R92bn over the 10-year deal.

How could the power utility grant an industrial company a discount when it is struggling to stay afloat? It doesn’t make sense to punish the solar user but give a R92bn discount to Hillside!

Eskom is two-faced, just like the government. | Thyagaraj Markandan Kloof

The world is on a very slippery slope

When good men do nothing, evil flourishes, is a fairly common quote most commonly attributed to Edmund Burke, an 18th-century Irish statesman and philosopher (although it’s more likely a paraphrase of some of his writings).

This is exactly what we see unfolding in the world.

The recent genocidal activities by brutal Islamic Jihadi groups in Syria paint a grim picture of the sheer ignorance, hypocrisy and depravity of those who only seem to care about “Palestinians” or what is going on in Gaza!

Dissturbing clips, which are not AI generated, show demonic radical Islamists gleefully displaying decapitated heads. I understand this is very graphic to even imagine, but it is happening right now, and the world remains silent.

Druze communities, along with some Christians, are subjected to the most heinous acts, but the world only condemns Israel for its efforts to deal with terrorism, while also fighting a major PR war, funded by the likes of George Soros and the UN.

The more we see mobs around the world displaying the Palestinian flag, yelling death to Jews and America while our people stay silent in the face of what’s happening in Syria, the more I come to the conclusion that we are in deep trouble as a global community. The lack of coverage for Christians being martyred and slaughtered like animals by what can only be described as barbaric, bloodthirsty Jihadist psychopaths is disturbing.

Why is Naledi Pandor, the eloquent, yet self-righteous, former minister of foreign affairs not condemning this? Well, it’s easy to understand why:  She simply doesn’t care about being brainwashed and used as useful idiots for Iran and its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah!.

Another very worrisome issue, is the issue of lack of consent when it comes to unelected organisations, such as the World Economic Forum and the World Health organisation, and vaccines or medical treatment.

During the Covid-19 fiasco, we saw global leaders take the stage and demand that we all wear masks and be vaccinated, without allowing for any public debate, alternative medicinal ideas or without listening to extreme concerns from the public with regards to the impact of lock downs on mental health and the irreversible side effects of the vaccines they hurriedly produced.

Again, why are we not speaking up about these scary issues? Are we too tired to care, or are we scared of being cancelled or publicly shamed by the pro-Palestine mobs or the vaxxers, who call us the anti-vaxxers, or conspiracy theorists?

If we continue down this path of ignorance, sticking our heads in the sand like ostriches while the world falls apart, we won’t have much to leave for our children and grand-children, It’s all coming apart at the seams.

Who will stand up and resist all this evil? | L Oosthuizen Durban

ANC fails as it slides into political oblivion

The unbelievable view expressed by Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa that electricity is becoming a luxury (IOL, July 22) should mark another milestone in the terminal descent of the ANC into political oblivion.

Those milestones are in the ANC’s much-revered Freedom Charter. But, one by one, the ANC has failed them.

■ “There shall be work and security”
Instead, joblessness has become the norm under the ANC. Rampant crime has made insecurity another norm as the police service has become impotent and corrupt.

■ “There shall be houses and comfort; no one shall go hungry”
Instead, homelessness, hunger, malnutrition and informal settlements are hallmarks of the ANC’s tenure. Now with electricity at unaffordable prices – when it is available – cold comfort is the norm for millions..

■ “The people shall share in the country’s wealth”
Instead, unprecedented levels of impoverishment prevail, attested to by the dependence of 20 million on social grants. Instead, an elite enjoys obscene levels of affluence, while large tranches of our resources are now foreign owned.

■ “All shall be equal before the law”
Flouting the law does not apply to those in high office. Instead they are allowed to “step aside” or be redeployed within the corrupt party which prioritises party loyalty above respect for the law and “the will of the people".

■ “The colour bar shall be abolished”
Under B-BBEE and racial quotas the colour bar has been reinstated and reinforced in ways far more discriminatory than under apartheid

.■ “The government shall encourage national talent for the enhancement of life”
Instead, education standards have plummeted and the best talents have emigrated.

To cap it all, the ANC has totally reneged on and failed its own election slogan: “A better life for all.”

In a normal society there would be overwhelming public pressure for a government that has failed so profoundly to resign. But instead, the ANC seeks a diversion in the form of a “national dialogue” in an attempt to keep itself in power.

For how much longer and how much further will this fiasco be allowed to continue? | DR DUNCAN DU BOIS Bluff

Choose partnership over politics

It’s rare to speak from the heart without backlash, but South Africa remains a troubled country. Crime, corruption, and unemployment prevails, while government leaders promote a R700-million National Dialogue, yet fail to act against the corrupt in their own ranks.

Ordinary South Africans want renewal through peaceful evolution to a united, prosperous nation. But our political leadership chooses self-­sabotage, jeopardising key relationships, such as our government’s pursuit of an ICJ case against Israel, souring relations with a natural ally whose values and strengths mirror our own.

Israel and South Africa are both beacons of democracy, rooted in Judeo-Christian values. South Africa’s transition from apartheid and Israel’s resilience offer beneficial lessons in reconciliation, innovation, and economic development. While Israel has emerged as a global leader in tech, water security, and food innovation, we remain stuck with dysfunctional government departments and poor service delivery.

Israel reclaims 86% of wastewater, leads in desalination, and boasts low unemployment, even amid conflict. In contrast, South Africa’s official unemployment rate sits at 32.9%. Why reject potential partnerships that could uplift our economy and society?

Voters denied any party a majority in 2024, a clear sign they reject our country’s current trajectory, yet the government pours more funds into the ICJ case, despite no genocide ruling.

This isn’t leadership. It’s political ideology that undermines our future. We need pragmatic diplomacy that puts South Africans first. Israel is not our enemy. It can be our greatest ally.

It’s time to choose partnership over politics. | Daniel Jacobi Executive Director at the South African Friends of Israel

Beat app fatigue and earn your space

Every year, over 250 000 mobile apps are launched across Apple and Google’s app stores. Yet average smartphone users interact with only nine apps per day. WhatsApp is almost always one of them, boasting over 2.8 billion users globally and a 93% penetration rate in South Africa.

Despite this, companies continue to invest in standalone apps that most users simply avoid, or delete after a single use. This growing app fatigue demonstrates ineffective business strategies that are disconnected to the customer behavioural economy of today, and refuses to meet customers where its most convenient for them.

Enter WhatsApp smartbots. These AI-powered chat interfaces are fundamentally reshaping how brands engage consumers by offering numerous services: Like buying tickets, applying for loans, or searching for properties, all within the familiar WhatsApp interface. No downloads, logins, or clunky interfaces.

Beyond customer convenience, smartbots also enable real-time behavioural insight for South African businesses. Every click, pause, or query becomes golden data that local companies can leverage to improve services, build trust, and personalise the experience. For industries like financial services and real estate, this infrastructure results in faster processes and more insightful interactions with customers.

Businesses need to stop contributing to app fatigue and start earning their space in our conversations.

In a world oversaturated with apps, the path forward lies in simplicity, relevance, and meaningful engagement. | Jonathan Elcock Co-founder and CEO at Rather.chataccuracy.org@accuracy

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